Austin Police

2:01 pm

Wed October 27, 2010

APD Cop Faces Firing Over Domestic Dispute

Earlier: Austin Police officer Leonard Quintana finds himself on the hot seat once again today. He's facing a disciplinary hearing that started at 1 p.m. and could result in him being fired from the force for a second time.

Quintana first came under public scrutiny after the he shot and killed 18-year-old Nathaniel Sanders during an incident in northeast Austin. Quintana was cleared of any wrongdoing. But the internal investigation that cleared him came under scrutiny itself, and a second review was ordered, which found Quintana acted recklessly and used excessive deadly force.

Last week, Quintana got his job back after an independent arbitrator decided Quintana should not have been fired for a DWI arrest.

A few days later it emerged that Quintana was also being investigated for an alleged domestic assault involving his former fiancé.

But the Statesman's Tony Plohetski reported this morning that Quintana's former fiancé told officers that the couple had only fought verbally.

Leander police wrote that the Oct. 10, 2009, call at the home of Austin officer Lori Noriega, Quintana's longtime girlfriend, "was cleared (as) a verbal disturbance where parties were already separated."

An officer wrote that Noriega "stated she was not injured and that this was just a verbal disturbance."

APD has scheduled a press conference for 3:30 this afternoon, during which Chief Art Acevedo will comment on Quintana's disciplinary hearing. KUT will attend.